CAN YOU HELP JESS FIND HER HOMELESS GOOD SAMARITAN?
AGRATEFUL Cardiff woman is searching for a homeless good Samaritan who brought tears to her eyes with an act of kindness. Jess Beynon is desperate to identify the unselfish stranger, who returned her missing purse without taking advantage.
The knight in shining armour – known only as Darren – called the 33-year-old to let her know he had her cards and cash.
Jess had originally ignored the call from a Cardiff payphone, thinking it was a scammer.
The fourth time it rang she picked it up, ready to give the caller a piece of her mind.
“It kept ringing and it was really annoying because I was in work,” Jess said.
“I was ready to give them a mouthful and this guy said, ‘Hi, is that Jessica?’”
She added: “He said his name was Darren and I had dropped my purse.
“He said he had looked for me but could not see me but that he could bring it to me.”
The pair agreed to meet at eight when she finished work.
“I went to meet him on Queen Street and when I went there it was a homeless gent.
“I was shocked that someone had returned it, and that the person who returned it was someone who had nothing,” she said.
“I got quite upset but he couldn’t stop apologising, saying he had taken some money out to phone me but that he would give it back.
“I said to him don’t be so silly. I asked him if he had anything to eat and he said no so I offered him some food and he said I didn’t have to do that.”
Jess chips.
She also gave him £10 as a thank you, despite the fact that he tried to give it back.
“He asked if I had any change because he had taken money out of my insisted and got him some purse,” she said. “He was trying to give me money back that I had given him as a thank you.
“My mum was in tears because she would not believe how nice he was.”
The purse contained cards, cash and £48.50 worth of vouchers – all of which were untouched.
Jess is now looking again.
“I was quite moved by it, it upset me,” she said.
“Not only was I lucky that my purse was found by someone honest, but that I was going home to a warm home with central heating and warm clothes.
“He was off to try and find somewhere to sleep for the night.
“He could have taken the money and got himself a hotel for the evening. I would have understood that.
“And all my cards are contactless. He could have used them without knowing my pin numbers.
“Instead he gave it to me and straight away apologised for taking some money out to call me.”
Jess’ friends now want to take him something to say thank you. for Darren
She admitted she is not sure where to find Darren, whom she met at the top of Queen Street in Cardiff.
“He was about 5ft 7in, of slim build, with dark, brown hair,” she said.
He wore a thin dark jacket and had three hooded tops. Two were grey and one looked a bit yellow.
His trousers were black cargo pants with pockets on the legs.
He had brown walking-style shoes and had a pet mongrel bigger than a Jack Russell.
“It’s made my Christmas, it’s absolutely made my Christmas,” Jess said.
Do you know Darren? Contact james.mccarthy@walesonline.co.uk